Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-02-10
TILLERS OF THE SOIL.
PROCEEDINGS OF TIE FARMERS AS
sEKBLY YESTERDAY.
Adoption Of a Platform-R Railroad Dis
ordinations Den enouneed-Public
Debt. &c.

| tendance OF members.
The committee appointed to wait on
the Governor and invite him to appear
before the Assembly reported that they
had performed their duty, and that the
Executive had appointed 9 o'clock T.
VI. rs the time ut which he would
take pleasure in appearing before the
Assembly.
THE PLATFORM.
Mr.. Grattan, of Augusta, chairman
OF the special committee appointed for
that purpose, presented platform for
the adoption Of the Assembly. The
BODY proceeded to consider the paper
by sections, and it was, after amend
mcnt, adopted as whole, and reads as
follows:
The oppressive taxes now being ex-
acted from agriculture for the benefit OF
co-poratious and individuals under pri-
vilegos obtained from both Federal an
State legislation have borne their fruit
The labor Of tue farmer no longer meet
with its Just return. Whereas durln
twenty years Of peace our people have
been sorely burdened with war taxes,
and are now groaning under the weight
| of an OVERLOOKING Treasury, which sur
plus is neither held in the Treasury for
the public benefit nor disbursed in pro
motion of the general interest, but IN
vested in illegal If not immoral appro-
uriation. and financial disaster 10 this
most numerous class OF our people IL
imminent if more of the proceeds OF the
farm cannot be withheld from the grasp
Of monopoly, impelled by conscious
ness Of the wrong that<as been perpe-
trated upon us 10y the license granted
by our Government for the benefit OF
| the privileged few who have obtained
such license, the Farmers OF Virginia,
through their representatives, have met
in Assembly to concert measures for
their relief and, with the view Of OBJ
tanning Just and proper legislation to
this end both ut Washington and nt
Richmond, they make the following
declaration Of principles, which should
form the basis of such legislation:
|. That government is trust in which
all the people are benefciaries; that
money taken by law from the pockets
Of the people must and ought to he ex-
pended only for the benefit of all the
people; that to tax the people for the
benefit of class or individual is but
taking private property for private use,
and is but legalized robbery.
2 That any law passed by Congress
tie effect of which is TO compel one
class Of our people to buy of another
class by prohibiting the importation OF
foreign goods necessarily increases the
price Of the thing bought TO the buyer,
and places him in the power OF the
seller; that we denounce all such legis
lation, because its legitimate effect is to
create and maintain privileged classes
III the country, and thus to violate the
letter and spirit Of orr constitutions.
3. Thatrailroads are highways opened
by the laws and authority OF the State
for the convenience and reasonable ac-
commodation of the people of the State,
and are not made solely for the pleasure
or benefit of the corporations who ope-
rate them; that the State in granting
such franchises acts as trustee for the
people Of the State, and asSuch trustee
is bound to see that the terms of The
trust ore strictly carried out, and when
ever there is an effort on the part o.
such corporations to use their fran
chises against the fair interests
of the people Of the State, then
it becomes the duty of the State
by proper legislation TO interpose for
the protection Of her people. We
therefore demand that the Legislature
Of the State shall pass such laws as will
prohibit discrimination by railroads be-
tween localities and individuals, re-
quiring the publication of their tariff Of
rates, and enforcing these and other
measures OF needed relief 10y adequate
penalties and agencies.
!. That We endorse the measure late
ly passed by Congress known as the
interstate commerce bill as a step in
the right direction, giving the pro-
duccrs and shippers of the country this
measure Of relief that the power to
discriminate between personsand locah-
ties claimed by railroad managers. their
loggies, agents, and attorneys, Is but
another device for taxing one class for
the support of another that neither
the State nor the Federal Governments
possess such power, and are therefore
incapable of delegating 1t to the rail
roaGs that the exercise Of such power
by the creature OF the State Is in effect
to take value from the land and pro-
ducts in one section and bestow the
same value upon another.
=. We call upon our State Legisla-
ture to be vigilant in restricting with
proper limitations the charters to be
hereafter granted to corporations that
charters to railroad companies should
rigidly restrict them to the business OF
common carriers that they should he
prohibited absolutely from owning di-
rectly or indirectly real orpersonalpro-
perty other than that actually neces-
sarv for their business OF common car
riers; that We regard the system now
practiced 10y certain railroad com
panies of buying up, so as to
monopohze, the coal and other min
eral lands of the country IS pregnant
with the greatest evil; that to corner
f,tet would be scarcely less disastrous
than 10 corner bredd, and would place
the consumer at the mercy of monopoly
III the price to be paid for this neces-
sary OF life.
{. We earnestly call upon our re-
presentatives, both 10y word and vote,
10 urge Il repeal of the tax on tobacco
and fruit-hrandies.
:. That we hereby express our un-
alterable determination To support no
man who will not aid us honestly and
faithfully in obtaining relief from the
grievances complained OF, and to that
end We humbly recommend that the
apricultulnl class organize throughout
the State and support men who are
pledged TO be in fun accord and sym
rathv with the farming interest for
nj legislative Offices, both State aud
national, and will pledge themselves to
refuse free passes on railroads.
g. That in the contest which is to
he made between monopoly and the
priyileeed classes on the one hand, and
the tax-payers on the other, involving,
as i. does, fair price to the consumer
of what he cats and wears, OF the very